Sling-type carriers have been devised in the past for use in the bundling, transportation or storage of logs and similarly shaped articles. Customarily, carriers are made up of one or more elongated flexible members formed into a generally loop-shaped configuration with the free ends secured to a common connector and an opposite, closed end either connected to or passed through the connector to form an object-encircling portion. Thus, when the logs are stacked within the object-encircling portion and the carrier is lifted by means of the handle, the weight of the logs will cause the object-encircling portion to be tightened around the logs so as to facilitate their transportation from one point to another without shifting or accidental removal of any of the logs. Representative of this approach is U.S. Letters Pat. No. 1,699,114 to Meagher which discloses a sling-type carrier in which the closed end of the flexible member is passed through a ring which secures together the free ends of the flexible member and the closed or looped end can then be engaged by a suitable hook or other lifting tool. Other U.S. Letters patent which typify this approach are U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,119,160 to Hoppeler and 1,325,025 to Linnertz.
The patent to Meagher also proposes the use of spreader bars spaced at intervals along the length of a flexible member intermediately between the connected end and looped end, the spreaders or stretchers being held in position by pins which are driven through openings formed adjacent to opposite ends of the stretchers whereby to wedgingly engage the flexible member in its passage through the openings.
Other U.S. Letters patents of interest are U.S. Pat. No. 398,902 to Payne which shows a wood carrier consisting of two base-wires and a bail; U.S. Pat. No. 515,353 to McIntosh, Sr. which illustrates a combined woodbox, kindling and ash receptacle that is a combination of base, pan and oil reservoir; U.S. Pat. No. 625,927 to Hanson et al. which discloses a wood holder and carrier constructed of metal wire and composed of wire bails, upper crossbar provided with handle, pan and wire grating; U.S. Pat. No. 1,027,401 to Check, which shows a wood carrier composed of wire, hinges, eyes and other relatively rigid components arranged into a hinged, collapsible wood carrier having a curved carrying handle composed of relatively rigid material; and U.S. Pat. No. 3,827,614 to Baxter et al. which illustrates a single wall tubular packaging carrier constructed of flexible material, open at both transverse ends and provided with a handle disposed adjacent to a longitudinal edge, affixed thereto by sewing.
It has also been proposed to use devices which consist of a piece of fabric or leather approximately rectangular in shape, with handles of wood or fabric disposed adjacent to each of two opposite ends. Other prior art in the field comprehends either rigid, complicated devices; or devices which are difficult to load and unload; also, devices that do not sufficiently stabilize a bundle of wood during the transportation of the wood, or are fairly limited in carrying capacity.